CARGO volumes into the United States are being lifted by booming sales of smartphones and the trend towards ever larger televisions, contributing to a 5.2 per cent year-on-year increase in wholesale sales of electronics in 2017.
Sales rose from US$247 billion in 2016 to $260 billion in 2017, according to the Consumer Technology Association, which forecasts a 3.9 per cent increase this year to a record $266 billion, driven in part by 'excitement about emerging technologies.' These include smart speakers and other voice-activated products, virtual reality electronics and even drones.
China leads the US electronics import sector, accounting for 61.6 per cent of electronics imports into the United States in 2017; second-ranked South Korea sent just 4.5 per cent of the annual import volume, according to figures from PIERS.
One trend that has lately added to Chinese electronic exports to the United States is the move to shift manufacturing of televisions from Mexico to China, said Display Supply Chain Consultants president Bob O'Brien, who noticed the shift while analysing data from the US International Trade Commission.
Switching production to China would likely boost imports by sea because Mexican factories mostly send the TVs to the United States by rail and truck. Television import figures could also be lifted by the trend towards ever-bigger televisions, which means more containers would be needed, Mr O'Brien said.
The US imported 1.26 million TEU of electronics in 2017, a 1.2 per cent increase over 2016, according to data from PIERS.
Given that China is such a dominant player, US west coast ports handled the bulk of electronics imports, with Los Angeles handling 30.8 per cent of the US import volume and Long Beach, 24 per cent. Ranked fourth was the Northwest Seaport Alliance with 6.83 per cent of the market share, followed by the port of New York and New Jersey, with 9.8 per cent.
Cargo import figures overall were driven in part by televisions - 19 million units were imported in 2017, up from 16 billion in 2016, Mr O'Brien said. The volume of smartphones imported ticked up slightly in 2017, but other parts of the electronics import sector remained flat.
Sales rose from US$247 billion in 2016 to $260 billion in 2017, according to the Consumer Technology Association, which forecasts a 3.9 per cent increase this year to a record $266 billion, driven in part by 'excitement about emerging technologies.' These include smart speakers and other voice-activated products, virtual reality electronics and even drones.
China leads the US electronics import sector, accounting for 61.6 per cent of electronics imports into the United States in 2017; second-ranked South Korea sent just 4.5 per cent of the annual import volume, according to figures from PIERS.
One trend that has lately added to Chinese electronic exports to the United States is the move to shift manufacturing of televisions from Mexico to China, said Display Supply Chain Consultants president Bob O'Brien, who noticed the shift while analysing data from the US International Trade Commission.
Switching production to China would likely boost imports by sea because Mexican factories mostly send the TVs to the United States by rail and truck. Television import figures could also be lifted by the trend towards ever-bigger televisions, which means more containers would be needed, Mr O'Brien said.
The US imported 1.26 million TEU of electronics in 2017, a 1.2 per cent increase over 2016, according to data from PIERS.
Given that China is such a dominant player, US west coast ports handled the bulk of electronics imports, with Los Angeles handling 30.8 per cent of the US import volume and Long Beach, 24 per cent. Ranked fourth was the Northwest Seaport Alliance with 6.83 per cent of the market share, followed by the port of New York and New Jersey, with 9.8 per cent.
Cargo import figures overall were driven in part by televisions - 19 million units were imported in 2017, up from 16 billion in 2016, Mr O'Brien said. The volume of smartphones imported ticked up slightly in 2017, but other parts of the electronics import sector remained flat.